The Carolina Panthers have a shot at becoming the first team to go 3-0 this season. That's if they can beat the Houston Texans Thursday night to kick off Week 3 of the 2021 NFL regular season. And if you're looking at someone who could dominate in this game for the Panthers, then look no further than the team's backfield, where running back Christian McCaffrey is expected to ball out, despite a short week for Carolina.

The Texans are certainly wary of McCaffrey, who's back to his old self after missing almost the entire 2020 season due to injury. Houston defensive coordinator Lovie Smith knows how to slow down CMC, but at the end of the day, it will be about whether his stop unit can execute well on the field.

Via James Palmer of The NFL Network:

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“Defensive coordinator for the Texans, Lovie Smith said, you got to make sure you gang tackle him. You can't make any mistake with McCaffrey. you got to make sure you're sound, you have somebody on every gap. And they didn't tackle very well against Cleveland last Sunday. That's something I want to make sure they do specifically against McCaffrey.”

McCaffrey and the Panthers opened their 2021 schedule with a 19-14 win over the New York Jets at home before subduing the New Orleans Saints, also at home, to the tune of a 26-7 to earn a share of the top spot in the NFC South with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.